LOST CENTURY Sidestory: The Knight's Move
'A Knight sidestory' June 25, LC 0042 Somewhere in a desolated part of the Earth, a Royal Zeon Empire subterranean base was hidden among the desert ravines. This location was where one of the major battles during the War of Prides took place. Once, this was a prairie land, with a forest filled with flora and fauna. The effects of war took its toll on the earth, breaking the terrain open and wiping out everything. But the base survived the war and was still in operation. Inside the massive base cavity, two base personnel entered a huge room overlooking the mobile suit bay. This was the place where the Royal Zeon mobile weapons were amassed and maintained during the War. For now, it was used to develop and assemble prototype units as the war dragged along. "This is the mobile weapons bay. We currently have 4 mobile suits. Two Dogas, a scrapped Sinanju and that prototype mobile suit right over there,” the older personnel said as the two of them strolled the factory catwalk. They followed a flight of stairs to the ground below. "So, do we get to see some action here, sir?" asked the younger personnel. "Fortunately no, which brings us to our next topic. Our chief duty here as mechanics is basic mobile suit maintenance and assisting the engineers for development, assembly and installation," the older mechanic answered, causing the other to respond with a nod. They approached the prototyped mobile suit. The younger mechanic marveled at the massive hunk of metal in front of him. “Awesome! I wonder what kind of mobile suit this would be?” The old mechanic smiled. “Quit that face, you jerk! You look like a five year old boy opening a plastic model kit on a Christmas day.” “Hahahaha! I can’t help it, sir. I only get to see these things from a distance. Now, I am standing before it…within my reach. I can even smell the burnt oil, the sweet aroma of hydraulic fluid. This is heaven for an apprentice mechanic like me,” the younger one replied. “Heh! You are just lucky that somehow, the war subsided for the moment. Back in our day, we only get to sleep and rest if our mobile suit units were destroyed in battle. Can you believe that? It was like hell, I tell you. There were times when units were able to come back but heavily damaged from the battle. As we coaxed the pilots to manually open the cockpit, we often get no answers, only to find out that they’re already dead…” The old man’s voice trailed off at this statement. The younger mechanic’s eyes grew wide. “REALLY? The war was that cruel and nasty?” The old man grunted, “Your choice of words don’t even fit to what I saw in my day. Though we belong to the Empire’s side, I can say that Royal Zeon’s authority is kept under the pretext of terrorism prevention, which meant killing almost without any significant reason. Having said that, the Federation is no better, retaliating with an even cruel and nasty manner, as you’ve put it. Colony gassing, nuclear launch… You’re one hell of a lucky boy, able to survive the horrors of war. By the way, what is your name?” The younger mechanic was about to reply when a buzz sounded. It meant that the transport gate was opened. A military vehicle entered the premises and parked a few meters away from the two men. A guy in Royal Zeon uniform with his long coat hung over his shoulders stepped out of the vehicle, rushed forth with big and loud steps heading towards the prototype suit. He stared at the unit with a big grin on his face, peeked below the gaps, tugged on moveable parts, and inspecting minute details concerning the unit. At last, he stepped back, watched in admiration with what he thought as a majestic piece of mechanical weapon before him. "Hmmm... painted in my colors. It now looks impressive. This will be a good replacement for my Kampfer, isn't that right soldier?" said the guy in uniform as he shifted his sights on the younger mechanic expecting for an immediate response. "Uh, uhm, I-I'm sorry Sir, this is my first day here," stuttered the young mechanic, answering the guy in uniform. The older mechanic cleared his throat. "Please forgive the new guy, Commander Alfonse. He’s a newbie grease monkey but given the time, he’d be one of the best here, of course, as my protégé. But talking about the Fuhrer, it is now at 85 percent to completion and fully functional as it is-" He was interrupted with the abrupt sound of the alarm. "What is it?" the commander demanded in surprise as the buzzing sound continues. Mechanics and other personnel stopped whatever they were working upon and became alert. "It’s the Feddies!!! Closing in on the perimeter!!!" A soldier burst in the room reporting to Commander Alfonse. Commander Alfonse pondered furiously, Probably the same guys tailing me back there, but I thought I took care of them!! Those Southern Giants... persistent bastards! The commander was angry but his expression quickly changed and a big smirk appeared. He turned to the old mechanic, "On the other hand, this will be a perfect time to take the Fuhrer for a test drive, don’t you think so?” "Ok, listen up, guys! Prep up the Fuhrer ASAP, the commander will launch in it!" the old mechanic gave his orders, sending all the junior crew to scramble to their manned stations. * * * * * Meanwhile outside, just a few kilometers away from the base, the Southern Giants team of the Earth Federation regrouped and took cover among the terrain formation. "This is the last reading of that transport's location. Based on other information forwarded by the reconnaissance department, it is highly possible that it landed somewhere near here than it would have tried to boost off for atmospheric exit,” the Fed's Southern Giants' team leader declared. Together with him were seven other GM III units. “Obviously, since this is a deserted area, it would be the most excellent idea to hide a base around here. If my gut doesn’t betray me, my hunch would be that it’s as subterranean base, Taisa,” added one GM III pilot. “Very likely,” the team leader commented. “Okay, Team! Commence operation now, code named Deny Flight. Our mission is to find that transport and capture its personnel. Spread out and be wary of any hostile engagement. We don’t know what lies beyond this god-forsaken land. But remember. We’re going home together. Head out!" “Aye, sir!” * * * * * “Y-you’re going out without backup, Commander Alfonse?” the old mechanic asked as he and the commander stepped onto a platform. He pushed a button that lifted the platform and moved onto the Fuhrer’s cockpit. “Is there a problem, old man?” the commander inquired. “I believe that you have the competency to build this mobile suit, of which I am more than willing to use. Now do you share that same sentiment with me?” “Y-Yes, commander Alfonse, sir!” Alfonse pressed a button which opened the cockpit hatch with a hydraulic hiss. “No one is to sortie and assist me. I, Commander Jehu Alfonse, will bring victory for the Royal Zeon. Wish me luck, then!” The people in the base shouted, “Sieg, Royal Zeon!!!” Sirens blared and lights flashed as the Fuhrer moved onto the indoor tarmac. The base’s main gate opened and the Fuhrer started to lift off from the ground. “RZ-001C Fuhrer, Commander Jehu Alfonse. Heading out!” * * * * * “Still no sign of any activity?” inquired the Southern Giants’ leader. “Not a thing, sir.” Was the intelligence information faulty? the leader pondered. All of the sudden, the one assigned for reconnaissance barked in the commlink. “Movement confirmed, sir, 10 o’clock, 10 clicks! Scanning thermal radar now…. It’s a mobile suit!!!” “How many?” “Only one, sir!” “And the database?” “No identical or similar heat signature sir! It must be a new unit! Judging from the infrared imaging, it’s a huge mobile suit!” “Everyone, remain hidden. We’ll try to ambush this unknown unit. If we make haste and attack, we might be of a disadvantage,” the leader radioed. “It’s a good thing that we armed the missile tubes with double action warheads. Let’s hope that this huge one doesn’t have that good armor.” The GM III units turned their lights off and remained still. All they heard was the sound of rockets and thrusters. Little did they know that the Fuhrer was already targeting them. * * * * * “What are you doing in the dark, kiddies?” Alfonse smirked to himself, as he watched the radar detecting the hiding GMs. “If you keep this long enough, then I have no choice but to draw first blood!” Flicking the switches that opened missile tubes on its legs, the Fuhrer sent a torrent of napalm missiles onto the Federation mobile suits. Almost immediately, the area was engulfed in a humongous ball of flame. The Federation leader was surprised at the attack. “WHAT THE HE--!!! TEAM SPREAD OUT!!!” At once, an explosion echoed in the area. It only meant one thing: one GM III blew off. “Whose unit was that?!?! ANSWER ME!!!” the leader shouted. A voice cracked in the commlink. “It’s Rocksteady, sir! He wasn’t able to move in time because his unit was knocked off by—!!” There was static silence that followed. The leader shouted, “BEBOP!” “TEAM! SCRAMBLE, NOW!!!” The remaining six GM IIIs moved away from the area. Overhead the Fuhrer was hovering with its mooneye scanning the moving mobile suits. “What are you up to, now, cannon fodders?” “Rawhide! Eagle! Renegade! Bombard the enemy with missiles! Set the fuse to explode upon contact!” the leader barked. “Biggs! Wedge! Follow me for a close-in attack!” Up above, the Fuhrer was being targeted by multiple missiles. While some missed, there was a handful that hit the mobile suit. Being huge and heavy, speed was not the Fuhrer’s abilities. Despite all that, the armor was sturdy enough even to endure the double action missiles. “What a wuss, these Feddie idiots. I’m already outnumbered from the start, eight-to-one…” Alfonse muttered. “Well then, let’s up the ante!” Adjusting its shoulder mounted beam bazooka into scatter beam shot, the Fuhrer did a dead drop maneuver by shutting down its thrusters, meeting the coming GM IIIs halfway, continuing its missile barrage. When the certain effective range was reached, the Fuhrer blasted its beam bazooka against them. Two units were instantly destroyed, except for the one in the rear, which reached for its beam saber and slashed at the Fuhrer. Renegade exclaimed, “Take this, you Zeon gremlin!” He successfully cut the beam bazooka in half. “There’s no fool like an old fool! You made yourself open to my counterattack, appetizer!” shouted Alfonse. The Fuhrer directed its armor piercing 105 cannon, which was mounted on the back of its palm, against the GM III. KABLAM! BOOOOOOM!!!!! “Five down, three more to go!” the commander jubilantly said. * * * * * Rocksteady! Bebop! Rawhide! Eagle! Renegade! Your lives will not be in vain! I will personally make sure of that! The leader said to himself. “Wedge! Biggs! We’ll do the hairline maneuver. Follow me!” Biggs hesitated, “B-But I’m not the marksman of the team, sir! If only Eagle wasn’t…wasn’t…” “No time to hesitate, Biggs! We have to do this if we are to go back alive!” Wedge reacted. The three GMs moved to their positions. “Charging energy cap to maximum capacity. All set and ready to go, sir!” Biggs reported. “Let’s do this! Biggs, I believe in your capabilities. Time to kick some Zeon butt!!” the leader said. Aboard the Fuhrer, Alfonse sensed that the enemies were up to something. Suddenly behind him, a GM charged in, armed with a beam saber. “Take this!” shouted the leader. The GM closed in and using its right arm, slashed at the Fuhrer. The Fuhrer, however, reached for its beam saber and parried the attack. Then the Fuhrer grabbed the GM’s head and yanked it apart. Amid the failing camera display, the leader shouted, “Do it!!!” Suddenly out from nowhere a flash was seen. It was a beam shot from Biggs’ GM III, which he targeted against the enemy, passing the beam shot inches away from the GM’s right torso. The shot directly hit the Fuhrer on its lower left torso, sending the huge mobile suit steps backward. The leader’s GM unit fell face down. “AKKKK!!” Alfonse gagged upon the impact from the shot. He inverted the beam saber’s position and poised to stab the fallen GM’s back. “Why you tricky, little…” Before he finished his sentence, Wedge made his move. His unit jumped with the help of its back thrusters and landed a solid kick on the Fuhrer’s back, plunging it forward. The Fuhrer’s own thrusters were impaired but it got up quickly and flew away in a rather erratic manner. Biggs and Wedge started to pursue the escaping mobile suit, shooting at it. “TSK! But you’d pay for that!” Alfonse furiously said. The Fuhrer flew above the GMs, released all remaining napalm missiles and fired its arm cannons at them. As soon as the missiles hit, Wedge and Biggs’ GM units shielded their leader’s damaged mobile suit, covering it with their own units. “We’ll protect you, Commander Collins, sir!!!” Wedge and Biggs shouted amid the deafening roar of explosions all around the poor GM units as they were all swallowed up by the blaze and intense heat. * * * * * Taking the longer route to avoid tracking from possible reinforcements, the Fuhrer returned to base. Commander Alfonse removed his helmet and gave a shout of triumph. “WOHOO!!! Not bad for your fight engagement, Fuhrer, not bad.” At the base, the hangar door opened and the Fuhrer walked in through the elevator back to its containment unit, but somehow the commander noticed something. "It's awfully quiet in here," he thought, being used to the crew that usually bustles around to greet him after a dispatch. “At least they could have cheered for themselves for having made this sturdy mobile unit. Probably they were cowering in fear for the threat by those Feddie fodders.” When the Fuhrer was in place, Alfonse was about to reach for the “open hatch” switch when all of the sudden it unlocked itself. He saw a silhouette of a man against the blaring lights in the base. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he realized that it was the young mechanic from earlier. "Newbie--!!" The commander was surprised of what he saw. The young mechanic was pointing a Desert Eagle against him. Alfonse quickly moved to reach for his pistol but a fluted gunshot pre-empts the sound of a body crashing. POVVVFT! The commander's body was sent back to the pilot's seat and a stream of blood slowly filled the Fuhrer’s cockpit floor. "I'm very sorry commander, but nothing personal. This is purely, literally business of some sort. The existence of this little facility of yours is just bad for business, so hope you understand... Ciao, Commander,” the young mechanic grimly said. He was now wearing a black suit and a tie. Pulling out a handkerchief, he wiped some blood that sputtered on his hand. He leaned forward to the cockpit and whispered, "Due to time constraints, my plan of dueling you has changed, but you can wait for me in the afterlife commander. By the way, I go by the name, Knight." Tossing his handkerchief inside the cockpit, he added, “Wipe yourself up, commander… You’re bleeding.” * * * * * Knight took an exit path from the base using an underground elevator which quickly sent him to the far side of the dunes in the desert where a plane awaits for him. Just seconds after the plane flew, suddenly a big flash of light appeared then mixture of sound and the shockwave of the explosion originating from the Royal Zeon base sent the plane almost out of control. After the raucous moment caused by the explosion’s shockwave, the plane made a fly-by on what remained of the base. Knight gave a glance, made a sly smile. "Detonation confirmed, sir. The Persia Base is completely destroyed," reported Nadia. Behind him was a man with a cropped hair and mysterious facial expression, clenching his fist against his service pistol. He grunted, “You could have asked for help, you know…” Knight sighed and replied, “Now’s not the time for you to make an appearance, Sidhikoro. Time will come, brother. Instead, better make the report ready for Dorough's consumption. He might want my hide for this little 'excursion'.” Reaching out a hand, he tapped the man’s shoulders. Sidhikoro muttered, "I'd prefer that you refer to me as Eagle Eye, Knight." "Right, whatever." Sidhikoro looked outside and said to him, "You might want to see this." Knight peered through a porthole and saw the extent of the damage. The ravine where the base was no more. "Who designed that bomb? We could have died carrying that around, you know," Knight complained. Sidhikoro chuckled, "You're a sly cat with numerous lives. Why fear death?" After a moment of silence, Sidhikoro spoke, "What merit did it bring to destroy everything down there? I'm pretty sure there are invaluable information that we could use." "Hmp!" Knight replied. He pulled a USB from his coat pocket. "See this?" he teased. Sidhikoro nodded and replied, "Ah!" Pressing a button, Knight contacted the pilot. "Did you take images during fly-by?" Nadia responded, "Yes, sir. Uploading files to the network now." “Roger that! Time to go home,” Knight instructed the female pilot. “Yes, sir.” Giving up a sigh, Knight just sat with his eyes closed as if sleeping soundly lulled by the turbulent winds. * * * * * END * * * * * Category:Lost War Chronicles sidestories Category:Stories by John Nigel Category:Lost Century Side Stories